History

A History of WECW in Photos

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Year Book Page from 1951

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Radio at Elmira College dates back into the 1930's. Initially, in 1948, the Speech and Hearing department began to play with radio equipment. The first traces of recorded audio from EC come from this class, where the women recorded a weekly show for local station WELM.

Recording Radio in Cowles

Here, students use the recording equipment to record the aforementioned show for WELM in Elmira. This took place in the basement of Cowles Hall.

A new building creates WECW-FM

In 1959, Watson Hall opened its doors. President Murray, along with others wanted to bring a radio station to EC. With the opening of a new building, a studio was built-with the antenna on the roof, and WECW at 88.1 FM was born.

Showing off the new studio

In this photo from the grand opening celebration at Watson Hall in 1959, we see people touring the new radio station.

WECW between 2015 and 2017

A photo of the 2015 Board of Directors in the new space in the basement of the Campus Center.

A large space for WECW

The studio in Watson was large. It featured a control room, a preface space, and even a stage. The studio was located where the current math lab, and offices adjacent to it are today.

President Murray at WECW

President Murray appeared on the station from time to time, continuing his investment in radio and addressing students. Photo is from the mid 1960's.

WECW Program Schedule in 1968

The station only broadcast when there was a show on, or a person in the studio.

A Well-Oiled Machine

This is a photo from the mid 1970's, still making use of the original equipment.

Serving the campus

The college went all coed in 1969, photo from the 1970's.

WECW between 2015 and 2017

The Late 70's

It brought some new equipment to WECW, relaxing the original console that was over two decades old. Around this time, the station broadcast on 95.5 FM.

The 80's & 90's

A few decades after the Campus center was built, WECW had a new facility built for it. The studio moved to its new CC space, and so did it's antenna in the '90s. In addition to that, the station moved from 95.5 FM to it's current day 107.7. The move came because the FM station was interfering with a local cable TV provider. The logo pictured is from 1981, bottom left is from 1989, and on the right is from 1993.

In the New Millennium

The early 2000's brought CDs and computers into the mix at WECW.

WECW's Campus Center Studio

WECW was located on the first floor of the Campus Center for many decades. In 2015, the station was moved to the basement of the building to make room for a new Multicultural Center that took the studio space.

In 2017, the station underwent Board-funded renovations, purchased new equipment, a station rebrand, and designed a new logo: